1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to fluid-containing cylinders in general and, more particularly, to a containment vessel into which a leaking fluid-containing cylinder may be placed so as to safely isolate it.
2. Background Art.
Cylinders are widely used, for example, in industry, research, and construction to contain fluids, usually under relatively high pressure. Such fluids are frequently toxic, flammable, or corrosive, sometimes having more than one of these characteristics. The cylinders are, of course, designed for the pressures of the fluids to be contained within them, but corrosion, internal or external, or failure of the outlet valve in the cylinder may cause the fluid to escape. It is, therefore, desirable to be able to minimize the safety hazard posed by a release of the fluid into the surrounding environment.
Heretofore, measures to attempt to provide for the possibility of a leaking cylinder including isolating the cylinder in a building or bunker located distantly from the area of use and piping the fluid to such area of use. When such a cylinder leaks, it may be allowed to simply dissipate its fluid to the atmosphere where dilution renders it harmless. There may be provision for venting the building or bunker to a vent or flare stack and/or it may be removed by personnel wearing safety apparatus. Other measures involve locating the cylinders near the area of use but isolating them in adjacent rooms, sometimes reinforced, or in cabinets. These rooms or cabinets may be under less than atmospheric pressure and may also be connected to vents or flare stacks. In some cases, the cylinders are simply used without any of the above provisions, relying on evacuation of personnel and/or atmospheric dilution for safety.
Another situation where such cylinders present a potential hazard is in their transportation, usually by truck over public roadways. This exposes the public at large to the dangers of leaking cylinders. Heretofore, such situations have generally been handled by the evacuation of people from the area, where the nature of the fluid dictated such action.
In any of the above situations, although measures are taken to safely isolate a leaking cylinder from personnel or personnel from the leaking cylinder, there can be interruptions in production activities or traffic while the fluid in the cylinder is allowed to dissipate. If atmospheric dilution is relied upon, there remains some hazard to life. Even if the immediate danger to life is minimized, there remains the problem of being able to quickly isolate the cylinder to minimize the disruptions noted above. There is the additional problem of being able to easily transport a leaking cylinder to an area or facility where it may be safely dealt with.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide means to safely isolate a leaking cylinder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such means to allow the rapid isolation of a leaking fluid-containing cylinder.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such means that is relatively compact and easily portable.
Other objects of the present invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.